Poster - #UMDOM86 - Clinical Vignettes (case studies)

Case of Orthopnea: Not Always a Matter of the Heart

Jessica Baek MD, Claudia Tejera Quesada MD, Gustavo Avila Amat MD, Ranga Rathakrishnan MD

University of Miami HCA JFK Medical Center West Palm Beach VA Medical Center

ABSTRACT
Orthopnea is defined as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing in recumbent position. During recumbency, lung compliance and vital capacity decrease, resulting in pulmonary congestion due to the redistribution of fluids within body. Orthopnea is one of the major Framingham criteria for diagnosis of heart failure. However, diaphragmatic paralysis is one of the uncommon causes of orthopnea that, in severe cases, can lead to respiratory failure and death.